WY antelope for 2011???

[scubasteven25]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-01-10 AT 09:42AM (MST)[p]My wife and I will be trying for antelope next year in the great state of Wyoming. I've read through quite a few posts on the MM forums trying to find answers as to where to start. Being as we are in Idaho I am looking to stay in the western half of the state. So far I've seen some good draw odds for several units. Idaho lists the average size of bucks taken from each unit but I don't see such a thing for Wyoming. Does anyone know if one exists or is there a list of Wyoming big game records? I'm not looking to kill the next world record but would like to get my wife something nice sized in the mid to upper 70's range. I will be a little more picky for myself as I already have an 80" antelope on the wall from my first and only antelope hunt, but I would like to ensure my wife can get a nice trophy and a great experience.

Looking at BLM maps shows lots of public land around the southwestern area of the state. Is it hard to get access to these public lands or are they open gate and fairly easy to locate like here in Idaho? Which units would you suggest for a not very experienced antelope hunter who is willing to get off the beaten path for a good antelope? I am looking to stay in the units that do not require a ton of preference points to draw. I have also been looking at lots of pictures of antelope to judge the size so I can educate my eyes. Unfortunately when I shot my only antelope I did not know a darn thing but lucked into a good one as he looked big to me. Any and all advice is appreciated and I will continue doing my homework as well. Thanks, God Bless and Happy Hunting.

 

[300Shortmag]

As seen in my other posts, we hunted SW Wyoming this year and it was a blast. There is a ton of BLM land that is very accessible right off the main roads.

The one thing we found when looking into our hunt is that preference points are needed in that area, I believe due to the size of the animals that have come out of there in the past along with the amount of public land that is accessible.

Eastern Wyoming has OTC tags but the private land there is not as large. My brothers went there the year prior and saw more antelope than we saw on our hunt. They said the public access areas were walk in by where they were and that the antelope were either there or not, just had to keep at it every day. Or you can pay a trespass fee...

Hope this helps out a little. I'd check the draw odds in the SW portion and see what you can get and then cross reference that with maps showing the availability of public land.

 

[quest]

You might try buying Eastman book on Antelope. I think Sporstmans Warehouse has it. quest

 

[scubasteven25]

I read your post. Congrats on your hunt. That is the kind of experience I am looking for myself and my wife. Thanks for the advice. I did buy a preference point this year just so I have a head start and I was also thinking of paying the extra for the Special Hunt tag.

 

[brownndown]

I also bought a point this yr and was thinking about unit 32 southwest of Casper, next yr will also be our first year too....I talked with Wayne from fish and game and he said its alot easier to obtain a license in the eastern part because there are alot more animals, but he also said there is alot of private land too though...he said that pretty much the whole western half of the state contains mostly public land!...I was reading somewhere that Wyoming is made up of 48% public land...and over here in mn that would be about 15%...Im not worried, just need to pic an area out there for goats now.

Stack em like cord wood!!!

 

[scubasteven25]

Back in May when I was traveling towards Texas for some Air Force training, I saw a HUGE antelope right outside of Laramie in what looks to be Unit 104. He looked to be every bit as big as the 80 incher I have on my wall, but driving at 75 mph can also skew your vision. It was in the National Forest area right off the interstate just a few miles from town. I thought about putting in there but am unsure if there is a lot of antelope in the area and how much they really hang out in the National Forest area.

 

[west]

mid to upper 70's buck...Any unit you want to put in for will give you plenty of options. Any unit in wyoming will produce multiple over 80 bucks each year.



"blaming guns for violence is like blaming spoons for Rosie O'donnell being fat."

 

[scubasteven25]

West, got you. I didn't know if certain units were easier to draw because the genetics are not as good. I've seen some of your pictures and it looks like you have yourself a good grasp on hunting antelope in Wyoming. I hope to one day get there.

 

[west]

look towards the central part of the state 69,68,73,72,75. They have pretty good draw odds with tons of public land and some great goats.

"blaming guns for violence is like blaming spoons for Rosie O'donnell being fat."